Methods and systems for controlling traffic to vpn servers

ABSTRACT

The present application is directed a computer-implemented method for for managing traffic in a network. The method includes a step of providing, at a computer including a graphical user interface (GUI), a request from a user to access the internet. The method also includes a step of determining information of the user including a security access in the network. The method further includes a step of reviewing, via the GUI, selection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VPN) cloud servers in the network. The method even further includes a step of ranking efficiency of the plural, dynamic, virtual VPN cloud servers in the network. The method yet even further includes a step of matching the user request with one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based on the ranked efficiency and the determined information. The active session of the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers lasts until a predetermined condition is met. Moreover, the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing list of users matched with respective VPN cloud servers. Still further, the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing queue list of other users still to be matched with VPN cloud servers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional applicationSer. No. 15/276,046 filed Sep. 26, 2016 which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/347,705, filed Jun. 9, 2016, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entiretiesherein.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

This application is directed to systems and method for controllingnetwork traffic from user to virtual private network (VPN) servers. Inparticular, the application is directed to systems and methods forcontrolling traffic based upon a user's security privilege.

2. Related Art

VPNs have become increasingly popular over the last decade. Inparticular, VPNs ensure privacy and data security in corporations,organization and the government. VPNs are generally known as privatenetworks that extend across a public network or the internet. One of themain roles of a VPN is to create an encrypted connection, e.g., tunnel,over a less secure network. As a result, users can securely send andreceive information across different networks as if their computingdevices were directly connected to the same private network.

Hackers have become quite adept at monitoring and hacking activity ofusers over a VPN. Hackers are capable of viewing a static VPN IP addressand conducting traffic analysis thereon. In turn, hackers can correlatethe static VPN IP address to a specific user and/or the associatedenterprise. VPN servers including these static VPN IP addresses may becompromised. Thus, they become easy targets for attacks and singlepoints of failure.

What is desired in the art is a system and method for enhancing thesecurity of networks when users access the internet via VPN servers.

What is also desired is a system and method that reduces the likelihoodof a system being compromised by a hacker.

SUMMARY

The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the applicationdirected to controlling network traffic to VPN servers.

One aspect of the application is directed to a computer-implementedmethod for managing traffic in a network. The method includes a step ofreceiving, from a user on the network, a request to access the internet.The method also includes a step of determining information of the userbased upon the request. The information includes a security privilege ofthe user in the network. The method also includes a step of reviewingselection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VPN)cloud servers in the network. The method also includes a step ofmatching the determined information of the user with the selectioncriteria. Further, the method includes a step of sending traffic of theuser to one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon thematching step.

Another aspect of the application is directed to a computer-implementedsystem for enhancing security of traffic on a network. The systemincludes a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon fordynamically managing the web traffic of user equipment on the network.The system also includes a display including a graphical user interface.The system also includes a processor, operably coupled to the memory andthe display. The processor is configured to execute the instruction ofreceiving, from a user on the network, a request to access the internet.The processor is also configured to execute the instruction ofdetermining information of the user based upon the request. Theinformation of the user includes security access in the network. Theprocessor is also configured to execute the instruction of reviewingselection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VP N)cloud servers in the network. The processor is further configured toexecute the instruction of matching the determined information of theuser with the selection criteria.

Yet another aspect of the application is directed to a system forsecuring web traffic on a network. The system includes a policycontroller that includes a non-transitory memory having instructionsstored thereon for dynamically managing the web traffic of userequipment on the network. The policy controller also includes a displayincluding a graphical user interface. The policy controller alsoincludes a processor, operably coupled to the memory and the display.The processor is configured to execute the instruction of determininginformation of the user based upon the request, the informationincluding security access in the network. The processor is alsoconfigured to execute the instruction of matching the determinedinformation of the user with one of plural, dynamic virtual privatenetwork (VPN) servers in the network. The system also includes a routerthat is operably coupled to the policy controller for directing trafficof the user to the VPN server.

The system also includes a router operably coupled to the policycontroller for directing traffic of the user equipment to the VPNserver.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments inorder that the detailed description thereof herein may be betterunderstood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of theinvention that will be described below and which will form the subjectmatter of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a fuller understanding of the invention,reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which likeelements are referenced with like numerals. These drawings should not beconstrued as limiting the invention and intended only to beillustrative.

FIG. 1A illustrates a machine-to-machine (M2M) or internet of things(IOT) communication system according to an embodiment of theapplication.

FIG. 1B illustrates a service M2M service platform according to anembodiment of the application.

FIG. 1C illustrates a system diagram of an exemplary M2M deviceaccording to an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 1D illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computing systemaccording to an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 2 illustrates a use case of a compromised enterprise network.

FIG. 3 illustrates a comparison of conventional architectures with anexemplary embodiment of the application.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of architecture of theapplication.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a graphical user interfacethat is used by an enterprise network for managing security according tothe application.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a technique employed to enhance networksecurity according to the application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments orembodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract,are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting.

Reference in this application to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “oneor more embodiments,” or the like means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of, for example, the phrases “an embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutuallyexclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are describedwhich may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by the other.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but not by other embodiments.

The present application describes techniques and systems for enhancingsecurity in a network. Specifically, it has been observed that static IPaddresses provide hacker's with a greater likelihood of knowing the typeof activity that corporations are researching. In turn, this increasesthe likelihood of hack attempts of the corporate network. To protect thenetwork against hackers, the techniques in this application involvedynamically changing VPN servers that user equipment in the enterpriseuse to access the internet. In addition, the VPN servers may change dueto predetermined conditions to further improve security of the network.

According to an aspect, unauthorized connection attempts can more easilybe identified by a monitoring system, such as a cloud provider or anenterprise network system, in view of role-based privileges provided tousers. Virtual firewalls will also aide to further secure the network.Consequently, hackers infiltrating the network will only be introducedto select VPN servers in the network based upon user privileges.Moreover, the VPN servers may be removed after a predetermined conditionhas been met.

General Architecture

FIG. 1A is a diagram of an exemplary machine-to machine (M2M), Internetof Things (IoT), or Web of Things (WoT) communication system 10 in whichone or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. Generally, M2Mtechnologies provide building blocks for the IoT/WoT, and any M2Mdevice, gateway or service platform may be a component of the IoT/WoT aswell as an IoT/WoT service layer, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the M2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 includes acommunication network 12. The communication network 12 may be a fixednetwork, e.g., Ethernet, Fiber, ISDN, PLC, or the like or a wirelessnetwork, e.g., WLAN, cellular, or the like, or a network ofheterogeneous networks. For example, the communication network 12 maycomprise of multiple access networks that provides content such asvoice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, or the like to multiple users.For example, the communication network 12 may employ one or more channelaccess methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), timedivision multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access(FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and thelike. Further, the communication network 12 may comprise other networkssuch as a core network, the Internet, a sensor network, an industrialcontrol network, a personal area network, a satellite network, a homenetwork, or an enterprise network for example. An enterprise networkwill be used in this application to include a satellite network,corporate network and/or home network.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the M2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 may includethe Infrastructure Domain and the Field Domain. The InfrastructureDomain refers to the network side of the end-to-end M2M deployment, andthe Field Domain refers to the area networks, usually behind an M2Mgateway. The Field Domain includes M2M gateways 14, such as a ServiceCapability Server (SCS) with a proxy, and terminal devices 18, such asUE devices. It will be appreciated that any number of M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M terminal devices 18 may be included in theM2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 as desired. Each of the M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M terminal devices 18 are configured to transmit andreceive signals via the communication network 12 or direct radio link.The M2M gateway device 14 allows wireless M2M devices, e.g., cellularand non-cellular as well as fixed network M2M devices, e.g., PLC, tocommunicate either through operator networks, such as the communicationnetwork 12 or direct radio link. For example, the M2M devices 18 maycollect data and send data, via the communication network 12 or directradio link, to an M2M application 20 or M2M devices 18. The M2M devices18 may also receive data from the M2M application 20 or an M2M device18. Further, data and signals may be sent to, and received from, the M2Mapplication 20 via an M2M service layer 22, as described below. M2Mdevices 18 and gateways 14 may communicate via various networksincluding, cellular, WLAN, WPAN, e.g., Zigbee, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth,direct radio link, and wireline for example.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the illustrated M2M service layer 22 in the fielddomain provides services for the M2M application 20, M2M gateway devices14, and M2M terminal devices 18 and the communication network 12. Itwill be understood that the M2M service layer 22 may communicate withany number of M2M applications, M2M gateway devices 14, such as forexample transit common service entities (CSEs), M2M terminal devices 18,such as host CSEs and Originators, as well as communication networks 12as desired. The M2M service layer 22 may be implemented by one or moreservers, computers, or the like. The M2M service layer 22 providesservice capabilities that apply to M2M terminal devices 18, M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M applications 20. The functions of the M2M servicelayer 22 may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the M2Mservice layer 22 could be implemented in a web server, in the cellularcore network, in the cloud, etc.

Similar to the illustrated M2M service layer 22, there is the M2Mservice layer 22′ in the Infrastructure Domain. M2M service layer 22′provides services for the M2M application 20′ and the underlyingcommunication network 12 in the infrastructure domain. M2M service layer22′ also provides services for the M2M gateway devices 14 and M2Mterminal devices 18 in the field domain. It will be understood that theM2M service layer 22′ may communicate with any number of M2Mapplications, M2M gateway devices and M2M terminal devices. The M2Mservice layer 22′ may interact with a service layer by a differentservice provider. The M2M service layer 22′ may be implemented by one ormore servers, computers, virtual machines, e.g., cloud/compute/storagefarms, etc., or the like.

Referring also to FIG. 1B, the M2M service layer 22 and 22′ provide acore set of service delivery capabilities that diverse applications andverticals can leverage. These service capabilities enable M2Mapplications 20 and 20′ to interact with devices and perform functionssuch as data collection, data analysis, device management, security,billing, service/device discovery etc. Essentially, these servicecapabilities free the applications of the burden of implementing thesefunctionalities, thus simplifying application development and reducingcost and time to market. The service layer 22 and 22′ also enables M2Mapplications 20 and 20′ to communicate through various networks 12 and12′ in connection with the services that the service layer 22 and 22′provide.

The M2M applications 20 and 20′ may include applications in variousindustries such as, without limitation, transportation, health andwellness, connected home, energy management, asset tracking, andsecurity and surveillance. As mentioned above, the M2M service layer,running across the devices, gateways, and other servers of the system,supports functions such as, for example, data collection, devicemanagement, security, billing, location Tracking/geo-fencing,device/service discovery, and legacy systems integration, and providesthese functions as services to the M2M applications 20 and 20′.Moreover, the M2M service layer may also be configured to interface withother devices such as UEs, service capability servers (SCSs) andmobility management entities (MMEs) as discussed in this application andillustrated in the figures.

The service layer is a software middleware layer that supportsvalue-added service capabilities through a set of ApplicationProgramming Interfaces (APIs) and underlying networking interfaces. ETSIM2M's service layer is referred to as the Service Capability Layer(SCL). The SCL may be implemented within an M2M device (where it isreferred to as a device SCL (DSCL)), a gateway (where it is referred toas a gateway SCL (GSCL)) and/or a network node (where it is referred toas a network SCL (NSCL)). The one M2M service layer supports a set ofCommon Service Functions (CSFs), e.g., service capabilities. Aninstantiation of a set of one or more particular types of CSFs isreferred to as a Common Services Entity (CSE), such as a SCS which maybe hosted on different types of network nodes, e.g., infrastructurenode, middle node, application-specific node

FIG. 1C is a system diagram of an exemplary M2M device 30, such as a M2Mterminal device 18 or an M2M gateway device 14 for example. As shown inFIG. 1C, the M2M device 30 may include a processor 32, a transceiver 34,a transmit/receive element 36, a speaker/microphone 38, a keypad 40, adisplay/touchpad/indicator(s) 42, non-removable memory 44, removablememory 46, a power source 48, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset50, and other peripherals 52. The display may further include agraphical user interface. It will be appreciated that the M2M device 30may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements whileremaining consistent with an embodiment. The M2M device 30 may also beemployed with other devices, including for example originators andhosting/transit CSEs as described in this application and as illustratedin the figures.

The processor 32 may be a general purpose processor, a special purposeprocessor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), aplurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in associationwith a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine,and the like. The processor 32 may perform signal coding, dataprocessing, power control, input/output processing, and/or any otherfunctionality that enables the M2M device 30 to operate in a wirelessenvironment. The processor 32 may be coupled to the transceiver 34,which may be coupled to the transmit/receive element 36. While FIG. 1Cdepicts the processor 32 and the transceiver 34 as separate components,it will be appreciated that the processor 32 and the transceiver 34 maybe integrated together in an electronic package or chip. The processor32 may perform application-layer programs, e.g., browsers, and/or radioaccess-layer (RAN) programs and/or communications. The processor 32 mayperform security operations such as authentication, security keyagreement, and/or cryptographic operations, such as at the access-layerand/or application layer for example.

The transmit/receive element 36 may be configured to transmit signalsto, or receive signals from, an M2M service platform 22. For example, inan embodiment, the transmit/receive element 36 may be an antennaconfigured to transmit and/or receive RF signals. The transmit/receiveelement 36 may support various networks and air interfaces, such asWLAN, WPAN, cellular, and the like. In an embodiment, thetransmit/receive element 36 may be an emitter/detector configured totransmit and/or receive IR, UV, or visible light signals, for example.In yet another embodiment, the transmit/receive element 36 may beconfigured to transmit and receive both RF and light signals. It will beappreciated that the transmit/receive element 36 may be configured totransmit and/or receive any combination of wireless or wired signals.

In addition, although the transmit/receive element 36 is depicted inFIG. 1C as a single element, the M2M device 30 may include any number oftransmit/receive elements 36. More specifically, the M2M device 30 mayemploy MIMO technology. Thus, in an embodiment, the M2M device 30 mayinclude two or more transmit/receive elements 36, e.g., multipleantennas, for transmitting and receiving wireless signals.

The transceiver 34 may be configured to modulate the signals that are tobe transmitted by the transmit/receive element 36 and to demodulate thesignals that are received by the transmit/receive element 36. As notedabove, the M2M device 30 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, thetransceiver 34 may include multiple transceivers for enabling the M2Mdevice 30 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as UTRA and IEEE802.11, for example.

The processor 32 may access information from, and store data in, anytype of suitable memory, such as the non-removable memory 44 and/or theremovable memory 46. The non-removable memory 44 may includerandom-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or anyother type of memory storage device. The removable memory 46 may includea subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a securedigital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, theprocessor 32 may access information from, and store data in, memory thatis not physically located on the M2M device 30, such as on a server or ahome computer.

The processor 32 may receive power from the power source 48, and may beconfigured to distribute and/or control the power to the othercomponents in the M2M device 30. The power source 48 may be any suitabledevice for powering the M2M device 30. For example, the power source 48may include one or more dry cell batteries, e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd),nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion),etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

The processor 32 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 50, which isconfigured to provide location information, e.g., longitude andlatitude, regarding the current location of the M2M device 30. It willbe appreciated that the M2M device 30 may acquire location informationby way of any suitable location-determination method while remainingconsistent with an embodiment.

The processor 32 may further be coupled to other peripherals 52, whichmay include one or more software and/or hardware modules that provideadditional features, functionality and/or wired or wirelessconnectivity. For example, the peripherals 52 may include anaccelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a sensor, adigital camera (for photographs or video), a universal serial bus (USB)port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands freeheadset, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, adigital music player, a media player, a video game player module, anInternet browser, and the like.

FIG. 1D is a block diagram of an exemplary computing system 90 on which,for example, the M2M service platform 22 of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B may beimplemented. As will be described in more detail below, the computingsystem 90 may be, for example, employed on the VPN service provider, adynamically generated server or a policy controller of an enterprisenetwork. In an embodiment, the policy controller may be embedded in thegateway router as shown in FIG. 4. Computing system 90 may comprise acomputer or server and may be controlled primarily by computer readableinstructions, which may be in the form of software, wherever, or bywhatever means such software is stored or accessed. Such computerreadable instructions may be executed within central processing unit(CPU) 91 to cause computing system 90 to do work. In many knownworkstations, servers, and personal computers, central processing unit91 is implemented by a single-chip CPU called a microprocessor. In othermachines, the central processing unit 91 may comprise multipleprocessors. Coprocessor 81 is an optional processor, distinct from mainCPU 91 that performs additional functions or assists CPU 91. CPU 91and/or coprocessor 81 may receive, generate, and process data related tothe disclosed systems and methods for embedded semantic naming, such asqueries for sensory data with embedded semantic names.

In operation, CPU 91 fetches, decodes, and executes instructions, andtransfers information to and from other resources via the computer'smain data-transfer path, system bus 80. Such a system bus connects thecomponents in computing system 90 and defines the medium for dataexchange. System bus 80 typically includes data lines for sending data,address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sendinginterrupts and for operating the system bus. An example of such a systembus 80 is the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.

Memory devices coupled to system bus 80 include random access memory(RAM) 82 and read only memory (ROM) 93. Such memories include circuitrythat allows information to be stored and retrieved. ROMs 93 generallycontain stored data that cannot easily be modified. Data stored in RAM82 can be read or changed by CPU 91 or other hardware devices. Access toRAM 82 and/or ROM 93 may be controlled by memory controller 92. Memorycontroller 92 may provide an address translation function thattranslates virtual addresses into physical addresses as instructions areexecuted. Memory controller 92 may also provide a memory protectionfunction that isolates processes within the system and isolates systemprocesses from user processes. Thus, a program running in a first modecan access only memory mapped by its own process virtual address space;it cannot access memory within another process's virtual address spaceunless memory sharing between the processes has been set up.

In addition, computing system 90 may contain peripherals controller 83responsible for communicating instructions from CPU 91 to peripherals,such as printer 94, keyboard 84, mouse 95, and disk drive 85.

Display 86, which is controlled by display controller 96, is used todisplay visual output generated by computing system 90. Such visualoutput may include text, graphics, animated graphics, and video. Display86 may also include a graphical user interface (GUI) as shown in FIG. 5.Display 86 may be implemented with a CRT-based video display, anLCD-based flat-panel display, gas plasma-based flat-panel display, or atouch-panel. Display controller 96 includes electronic componentsrequired to generate a video signal that is sent to display 86. Display86, may display sensory data in files or folders using embeddedsemantics names. Further, computing system 90 may contain networkadaptor 97 that may be used to connect computing system 90 to anexternal communications network, such as network 12 of FIG. 1A and FIG.1B.

Use Case

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary use case of enterprise networkvulnerabilities. In FIG. 2, steps are presented by a number encapsulatedin a circle. Specifically, a hacker gains access to information withinan enterprise network 200. For example, a hacker may be researchingtargets via the internet to detect vulnerabilities in one or moreorganizations in order to infiltrate their network. This motive is mostlikely for financial gain, trade secrets or military information.

The hacker monitors and cross-correlates an organization's internetactivity. In conventional systems however, IP addresses remain static.This facilitates easier monitoring of corporate activity by hackers.

FIG. 3 illustrates the benefits of the novel obfuscation technology foroutbound traffic providing enhanced security in comparison toconventional architectures. For example, scenario 1 illustrates acorporate user accessing the Internet via a specific IP address whenthere is no VPN solution. The corporate user may be performing Internetresearch for an acquisition that needs to remain confidential. As aresult, a hacker can see the original IP address of the corporationmaking it easy to monitor corporate activity. This can ultimately resultin a cyber-attack as described in the use case illustrated in FIG. 2.

Scenario 2 in FIG. 3 describes an example of a corporate user accessingthe Internet to perform research similar to scenario 1. The enterprisenetwork has a conventional corporate VPN solution. Specifically, the VPNis managed by a VPN provider which generates an IP address through whichthe corporate user accesses the Internet. In this example, a hacker cansee a static VPN IP address. The hacker can easily correlate the VPN IPaddress to a specific corporation. In so doing, the hacker will targetthe corporate for a cyber-attack as shown in FIG. 2.

Scenario 3 in FIG. 3 describes an exemplary embodiment of theapplication. In contrast with scenario 2, scenario 3 provides a VPNserver with a dynamic IP address from a VPN service provider to theenterprise. In an embodiment, VPN servers are dynamically launched withnew IP addresses based upon the occurrence of predetermined conditions.The conditions may simply be time-based or the occurrence of an actionon the network. This security feature protects against IP addressattribution to reduce the impact of servers being attacked orcompromised. As a whole, hackers must overcome additional, exhaustiveefforts to correlate corporate activity. This directly leads to fewerhacking attempts, whereby the hackers will simply move on to anotherserver.

In an embodiment, the network may also include role-based securityprivileges whereby users may only have access to particular VPN servers.These security features further minimize the possibility of a hackergaining access to all servers in a network and also that malicioussoftware is introduced into the network.

Cloud Computing

Generally, cloud computing resources are delivered as a service over anetwork connection including but not limited to the Internet. Cloudcomputing is therefore a type of computing that relies on sharing a poolof physical and/or virtual resources, rather than deploying local orpersonal hardware and software. One of the key characteristics of cloudcomputing is the flexibility that it offers and one of the ways thatflexibility is offered is through scalability. This refers to theability of a system to adapt and scale to changes in workload. Cloudtechnology allows for the automatic provision and de-provision ofresource as and when it is necessary, thus ensuring that the level ofresource available is as closely matched to current demand as possible.That is, the end user usually pays only for the resource they use and soavoids the inefficiencies and expense of any unused capacity.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is one of the three fundamentalservice models of cloud computing alongside Platform as a Service (PaaS)and Software as a Service (SaaS). Specifically, IaaS is specificallythat of virtualized hardware, e.g., computing infrastructure. Thedefinition includes such offerings as virtual server space, networkconnections, bandwidth, IP addresses and load balancers. Physically, thepool of hardware resource is pulled from a multitude of servers andnetworks usually distributed across numerous data centers, all of whichthe cloud provider is responsible for maintaining. The client, on theother hand, is given access to the virtualized components in order tobuild their own IT platforms.

Private Cloud

A private cloud is a particular model of cloud computing that involves adistinct and secure cloud based environment in which only the specifiedclient can operate. As with other cloud models, private clouds willprovide computing power as a service within a virtualized environmentusing an underlying pool of physical computing resource. Here, the poolof resources is only accessible by a single organization providing thatorganization with greater control and privacy.

Traits that characterize private clouds include the ring fencing of acloud for the sole use of one organization and higher levels of networksecurity. By contrast, a public cloud has multiple clients accessingvirtualized services which all draw their resource from the same pool ofservers across public networks. Private cloud services draw theirresource from a distinct pool of physical computers but these may behosted internally or externally and may be accessed across privateleased lines or secure encrypted connections via public networks.

The added security offered by the ring fenced cloud model is ideal forany organization, such as for example an enterprise, that needs to storeand process private data or carry out sensitive tasks. For example, aprivate cloud service could be utilized by a financial company that isrequired by regulation to store sensitive data internally and who willstill want to benefit from some of the advantages of cloud computingwithin their business infrastructure, such as on demand resourceallocation.

Controlling Traffic of Network Users to VPN Servers

According to an aspect of the application, a novel technique andarchitecture is provided for enhancing security on a network bycontrolling traffic to VPN servers. Ultimately, this traffic is directedto the internet. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of theapplication. Specifically a system 400 is shown representing anenterprise network 401, a VPN service provider 425 and a cloud provider430. The enterprise network 401 includes equipment 401 a, 410 b, 410 cand 410 d. The equipment may include one or more servers or storage 410a, personal computers 410 b, tablets 410 c, and handset devices 410 d.The features of the user equipment are described in detail above inregard to FIG. 1C. According to the application, users access tointernet via the user equipment 410 b, 410 c and/or 410 d. User may gainaccess to specific servers according to security their privileges, e.g.,role. That is, the servers spawned by the cloud servers 430, encryptedby the service provider 425 with a VPN, and then provided to the policycontroller 415 in the enterprise 401 selectively receive traffic fromusers based upon security privileges. In an embodiment, the spawnedservers may have varying degrees of security based upon the content tobe accessed on the internet. In another embodiment, the serversencrypted with a VPN may have varying degrees of security based upon thecontent to be accessed on the internet. The policy controller 415 mayselectively match the appropriate VPN server with the traffic of theuser based upon their security privilege. As a result, security may beenhanced if another user without the appropriate security privilegesattempts to gain access to the VPN server.

Users on user equipment connect to the Internet via gateway/router 420in the enterprise network 401. More specifically, users access theinternet through a VPN server provided to the enterprise network 401 viaa VPN service provider 425.

In an embodiment, the cloud provider 430, otherwise known as an internethosting service (IHS), spawns a cloud server. An IHS is a service thatruns Internet servers, allowing organizations and individuals to servecontent to the Internet. There are various levels of service and variouskinds of services offered. A common kind of hosting is web hosting.

Most IHSs 430 offer a combination of services. Generic kinds of Internethosting provide a server where the clients can run anything they want(including web servers and other servers) and have Internet connectionswith good upstream bandwidth. Examples of cloud providers include Amazonweb service s 431, Microsoft 432, and Google 433. The servers generatedby each of the cloud providers are represented by square boxes.

According to an embodiment, the cloud server is generally spawned upon arequest from the VPN service provider 425. The VPN service provider mayalso be referred to as the proxy server or simply service provider inthis application. Cloud servers generally operate in the same way asphysical servers. However, clients rent virtual server space rather thanrenting or purchasing physical servers.

Virtual cloud servers are often paid for by the hour depending on thecapacity required at any particular time. In cloud hosting, resourcescan be scaled up or scaled down accordingly, making it more flexibleand, therefore, more cost-effective. When there is more demand placed onthe servers, capacity can be automatically increased to match thatdemand without needing to pay on a permanent basis.

Unlike dedicated servers, cloud servers can be run on a hypervisor. Therole of a hypervisor is to control the capacity of operating systems soit is allocated where needed. With cloud hosting, there are multiplecloud servers which are available to each particular client. This allowscomputing resources to be dedicated to a particular client if and whenit is necessary. Where there is a spike in traffic, additional capacitywill be temporarily accessed by a website, for example, until it is nolonger required. Cloud servers also offer more redundancy. If one serverfails, others will take its place.

According to an embodiment, the VPN service provider 425 receives anotification from the cloud provider 430 that the cloud server has beengenerated Subsequently, the VPN provider embeds the dynamic server witha VPN. The IP address on the newly created server is distinct from allother IP addresses. The dynamic server may also include other credentialmaterial. For example, the credential material may include a usernameand password.

According to an embodiment, the dynamically generated VPN server maylast for a finite period of time. The duration may be fixed or variable.In so doing, hackers have a reduced risk of monitoring activityassociated with an IP address. For example, the finite period may be 10minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, 50 minutes or 1 hour. Thefinite period may also be any time ranging between 1 and 24 hours. Insome embodiments, the finite period may be any time ranging from 24hours to 72 hours. In another embodiment, the finite period isconfigurable by the enterprise 401 or the service provider 425. FIG. 5illustrates a graphical user interface of a VPN service providerdetermining the duration of the finite period.

In another embodiment, the dynamically generated VPN server may lastuntil a predetermined condition is met. For example, the condition maybe related to a specific activity. The activity may include inactivity,logging on, logging off, or unauthorized access. For example, if theuser is inactive for a certain amount of time, the session on thedynamic server may end. A new session may be initiated in its place,based on enterprise policies. This is completed in a seamless fashionthat is transparent to the user though enhances security.

In another embodiment, the activity may include visiting specificwebsites considered more susceptible to cyber-attacks. For instance, ifthe user is performing research in a field heavily monitored by hackers,the frequency at which the server is replaced with a new server (and newIP address) will increase.

The predetermined condition may also be related to load balancingrequirements. For example, policies may be set by the policy controller415 whereby only up to 2 users, or X amount of data may be able to gothrough particular dynamically created VPN server to access theInternet. This is shown, for example in FIG. 4, by the dotted line 401 crepresentative of a data request from a user on a tablet, and the dashedline 401 d representative of a data request from a user on a tablet.These users may able to access the internet by having their requestsrouted through the gateway router 420 to the dynamically generatedserver hosted by IHS 430 a.

In another embodiment, the load balancing requirement may be set up suchthat different activity types are sent to specific cloud servers. Forexample, the server hosted by IHS 430 a may be related to web traffic.Moreover, the server hosted by IHS 430 b may be related to voicetraffic. Further, the server hosted by IHS 430 c may be related to videotraffic.

In yet another embodiment, round-robin load balancing may be employedfor distributing client requests across a group of servers. Theround-robin technique forwards a client request to each server in turngoing down a list. When it reaches the end of the list, the loadbalancer loops back and goes down the list again (sends the next requestto the first listed server, the one after that to the second server, andso on). In an embodiment, weighted round robin may be employed. Here, aweight is assigned to each server based on criteria chosen by the siteadministrator. One criterion may be the server's traffic-handlingcapacity. The higher the weight, the larger the proportion of clientrequests the server receives. In yet another embodiment, dynamic roundrobin may be employed. Here, a weight is assigned to each serverdynamically, based on real-time data about the server's current load andidle capacity.

In yet another embodiment, the enterprise network 401 may include a VPNpolicy controller 415. The VPN policy controller 415 sets policies forthe enterprise network in terms of how users access the Internet. In anembodiment, the VPN policy controller 415 may request the VPN serviceprovider 425 to create a VPN cloud server for a particular user in theenterprise 401 to access the internet. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 viathe dotted, lined arrow extending between the policy controller 415 andthe VPN service provider 425. According to one embodiment of theapplication, the policy controller 415 may be housed in the gatewayrouter 420. In another embodiment, the policy controller 415 may beseparately housed from, though operably coupled to the gateway router420.

Further, credentials of the dynamic VPN server are sent to an entity,home or enterprise, on the network. The entity may be the enterprise401, a policy controller 415 or the user equipment. The credentials mayinclude an IP address. The credentials may include a port number. Thecredentials may also include VPN client configuration parameters. Thecredentials may also include client certificates.

According to yet another embodiment, the policy controller 415 may senda request to the VPN service provider 425 to create a VPN server for useby the user equipment. The request may include information of the userequipment. The information may include the type of traffic. Theinformation may include the duration of time the service is required.The information may include the region or location desired.

The policy controller then receives a VPN server from the VPN serviceprovider 425. In one embodiment, the policy controller may be able toselect the VPN server based upon the traffic type of the user equipment.In another embodiment, when the policy controller 415 provides thetraffic-type of the user equipment, the VPN service provider 425 mayselect the appropriate VPN server to meet the requirement of the userequipment.

The policy controller 415 may create a policy based upon a review of thecredentials of the user equipment. For example, a security principal maybe managed and deployed by the policy controller 415, or the router 420including the policy controller 415, across the enterprise network 401according to the user's role or enabled privileges. The roles mayinclude but are not limited to administrator, non-administrator, selectprivilege, and full privileges. This provides increased awareness ofnetwork attacks and allows portions of the network to function despitecertain portions being compromised.

In an exemplary embodiment, for example, a user who works in the payrolldepartment may log onto the enterprise network 401. The softwarefirewall on the network allows the user via its user equipment toconnect to a specific dynamic server supporting payroll functionality.In addition, only specific connections from the selected dynamic serverare permitted to connect with the user. Moreover, other users withoutpredefined security privileges are not authorized to connect to theselected dynamic server supporting payroll functionality.

The policy may be stored in a database for future retrieval. Thedatabase may be local or remote from the policy controller. The policycorrelates traffic of the user equipment to be routed to a VPN server.As will be discussed below in reference to FIG. 5, the policy may beviewed on a display and controlled/changed via a GUI on the displaydescribed above in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

In yet another embodiment, the traffic of the user equipment is sent bythe policy controller 415 to the VPN server 430. In an exemplaryembodiment, the policy controller 415 sends the traffic to the VPNserver 430 via a router 420, such as for example, the router describedabove in FIG. 1A. The selected VPN server, on one or more cloud servers430, may be based upon the user's privileges in the enterprise.

In one embodiment, cloud server 430 a may be provisioned by the policycontroller 415, or by the cloud provider 425, to permit network trafficoriginating from authorized users. The cloud servers may also beindependently provisioned to handle different types of network trafficor network traffic of varying degrees of secrecy. For instance, cloudserver 430 a may be provisioned to handle different types of networktraffic than cloud server 430 b. Cloud server 430 a may also beprovisioned to accept network traffic from one or more users whiledenying network traffic from other users in the network.

According to an embodiment, the traffic originating from user equipment410 b, 410 c or 410 d to the VPN server may terminate upon theoccurrence of a predetermined condition. The predetermined conditionsare described above in this application. When this occurs, the policycontroller 415 contacts the VPN service provider 425 to request anotherVPN server 430. In an exemplary embodiment, the request mayautomatically be generated and sent from the policy controller 415. As aresult, the VPN service provider 425 may select a suitable VPN server430 based upon information of the user equipment 410, or alternativelysend a VPN server without information about the user/user equipment 410.

In another embodiment, once the second or subsequent VPN server 430 isreceived by the policy controller 415 or the router 420, the traffic ofthe user equipment 410 is redirected from the first VPN server (e.g.,not active due to predetermined condition) to the second VPN server(e.g., new server). The IP addresses of the first and second servers aredifferent. Its life depends upon a predetermined event or after a lapseof time. The dynamically changing IP addresses helps improve networksecurity.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) that maybe generated based upon the methods and systems described above. The GUI500 of the display interface (e.g., touch screen display) may be locatedat, or operably coupled to, the policy controller 415 and/or gatewayrouter 420 shown in FIG. 4. Here, the policy controller 415 and/orgateway router 420 may review, via a portal 540, which requests havebeen received from user equipment. In addition, the security privilegesof the user may also be provided here.

When the policy controller clicks on the portal, the requests arepopulated. The policy controller may be able to sort the list ofrequests in order of receipt. In another embodiment, the list may besorted in order of priority. The list may also be sorted in order ofsecurity privilege, e.g., assuming this work is most important.

The GUI 500 may also include a portal 550 for requesting the VPN serviceprovider to provide a VPN server (ultimately by embedding security on aserver provided by a cloud provider). Here, the policy controller 415can view which requests have been sent to the VPN service provider 425.This keeps track of the progress for VPN servers received and theirdissemination to users on the network. In so doing, the policycontroller 415 is aware of any pending requests that have not yet beenfulfilled by the VPN service provider 420. In another embodiment, therequest may include information about the user's security privilege.This may be appropriate in instances where multiple cloud providers areused to source cloud servers. Moreover, it may be appropriate where eachcloud provider has a different standard of security. In an alternativeembodiment, the security privileges of the user are not provided to theVPN service provider. Here, the service provider may periodically sendVPN cloud servers to the policy controller 415/gateway router 420 orbased upon a specific order from the enterprise 401

In an embodiment, it is envisaged that plural VPN service providers 430could provide services to the enterprise 401. If so, the policycontroller 415 may prefer to rank the efficiency of each serviceprovider. In yet another embodiment, the GUI also includes a list of VPNservers 530 that are ready to be deployed to specific users/userequipment 410 in the enterprise 401. In some embodiments, a list ofusers for which the servers are provisioned may also be available. Thelist ensures that users in the enterprise do not have to wait too longto gain access to a VPN server. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG.5, the list 530 may include selection criteria of the VPN servers. Theselection criteria may include one or more of the following: source IPaddress, destination IP address, type of traffic to support, andsecurity access of the user.

In another embodiment, the GUI 500 may include a list of matched userswith VPN servers 535. The list 535 may be an active, changing listmatching all users/user equipment with their respective VPN servers.Alternatively, the list 535 may be arranged to display users queued toobtain access to a VPN servers.

In an embodiment, the policy controller 415 may provision the server 430to last for a predetermined period of time based upon a policy. Thepolicies may be located in a database portal 505. In an alternativeembodiment, the policy controller 415 may select a specific time fromprompt 510 of the user interface for the server to remain active. Asshown, the duration may be in minutes, hours and/or days. The time maybe manually entered or selected from a further drop down of preselectedtime entries.

In yet another alternative embodiment, the display may include a prompt520 to select duration based upon a predetermined condition. Thecondition may be based on an activity. Alternatively, the condition maybe based upon load balancing. In an embodiment, the duration may be acombination of a specific time and a predetermined condition.

Another aspect of the application describes a method for securelymanaging traffic through VPN servers to the internet as illustrated inFIG. 6. First, a request to access the internet is received from a useron the network (step 610). In an embodiment, the network is anenterprise. Next, information of the user is determined and/or evaluatedbased upon the received request (step 620). The information may include,for example, the user's security privileges in the network.

Next, selection criteria of plural dynamic VPN cloud servers is reviewed(step 630). Then, the determined information of the user is matched withthe selection criteria (step 640). Further, traffic of the user is sentto one of the plural dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon the matchingstep (step 650).

While the systems and methods have been described in terms of what arepresently considered to be specific aspects, the application need not belimited to the disclosed aspects. It is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similarstructures. The present disclosure includes any and all aspects of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for managing traffic in a network comprising: providing, at a computer including a graphical user interface (GUI), a request from a user to access the Internet; determining, via the computer, information of the user including a security access in the network; reviewing, via the GUI, selection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VPN) cloud servers in the network; ranking efficiency of the plural, dynamic, virtual VPN cloud servers in the network; and matching the user request with one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based on the ranked efficiency and the determined information, wherein an active session of the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers lasts until a predetermined condition is met, the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing list of users matched with respective VPN cloud servers, and the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing queue list of other users still to be matched with VPN cloud servers.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a unique IP address is associated with the one of the dynamic VPN cloud servers.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is selected from activity-type, traffic-type, load balancing, and combinations thereof.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the traffic-type is selected from video, web, voice and combinations thereof.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the activity-type is selected from inactivity, logging on, logging off, and combinations thereof.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the selection criteria are selected from source IP address, destination IP address, type of traffic to support, security access of the user or combinations thereof.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining second information of a second user including security access in the network, the second information being different from the determined information of the user; and matching the determined second information with another one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers and the ranked efficiency.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: creating a policy based upon the matching step for future traffic management.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an enterprise network for a company.
 10. A computer-implemented system for enhancing security of traffic on a network comprising: a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon for dynamically managing web traffic of user equipment on the network; a display including a graphical user interface (GUI); and a processor, operably coupled to the non-transitory memory and the display, the processor configured to execute the instructions of: providing a request from a user to access the Internet; determining information of the user including a security access in the network; reviewing selection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VPN) cloud servers in the network; ranking efficiency of the plural, dynamic, virtual VPN cloud servers in the network; and matching the user request with one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based on the ranked efficiency, wherein an active session of the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers lasts until a predetermined condition is met, the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing list of users matched with respective VPN cloud servers, and the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing queue list of other users still to be matched with VPN cloud servers.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to further execute the instructions of: determining second information of a second user including a security access in the network, the determined second information of the second user being different from the determined information of the user; and matching the determined second information with another one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers and the ranked efficiency.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor configured to further execute the instructions of: determining second information of a second user; and determining the second user is unauthorized to connect with the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon the second information.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of selecting the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon a traffic-type of the user.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined condition is selected from activity-type, traffic-type, load balancing, and combinations thereof.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the traffic-type is selected from video, web, voice and combinations thereof.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the activity-type is selected from inactivity, logging on, logging off, and combinations thereof.
 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the selection criteria are selected from source IP address, destination IP address, type of traffic to support, security access of the user or combinations thereof.
 18. A system for securing web traffic on a network comprising: a policy controller including: a non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon for dynamically managing the web traffic; a display including a graphical user interface (GUI); and a processor, operably coupled to the non-transitory memory and the display, the processor configured to execute the instructions of: determining information of a user based upon a request, the information including security access in the network; reviewing, via the GUI, selection criteria of plural, dynamic, virtual private network (VPN) cloud servers in the network; ranking efficiency of the plural, dynamic, virtual VPN cloud servers in the network; and matching the user request with one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based on the ranked efficiency; and a router operably coupled to the policy controller for directing traffic of the user to the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers, wherein an active session of the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers lasts until a predetermined condition is met, the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing list of users matched with respective VPN cloud servers, and the GUI displays a current, dynamically changing queue list of other users still to be matched with VPN cloud servers.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions of sending the web traffic of the user to the one of the plural, dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon the matching step.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor configured to further execute the instructions of: determining second information of a second user; and determining the second user is unauthorized to connect with the one of the dynamic VPN cloud servers based upon the second information. 